The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-08-11
A WORKING.MAN'S WIFE
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
''Don't fall in love with her, Junius

Iduhlil DitIUicy IOOkou oOlcilLiy
at Doctor Junius Dale; shook his head
sif to say, ""Tis true, tbs pity; pity
| tbs, 'tis true"
my dear fellow" said Bartley, the
sage mentor of the PAIR, "you can no
more afford such wife than you can
afford steam yacht or an ivory
mounted billiard table,"
| '"There s no occasion to tell me that,
nlournfully replied Doctor Dale. "I'm
quite aware OF it already. If was
rich I'd marry Miss Clarke tomorrow
always providing that she thought me
worthy ofacceptance; but as am only
o struggling young doctor, I'll do my
best to keep away from her rfascinations
in the future"
"a sensible decision" observed Bar.
tley.
''But she is so pretty!" yearningly
remarked Doctor Dale.
| "Granted."
"And she sings like nightingale"
"She ought to, with all the cultiva-
ton that her voice has received"
"And she has such q winning way
with her.
"What difference does that make to
your" said Bartley. Haven't you re-
solved that hereafter she is to be
nothing to your"
"Y-yes; but"
"Stick to your colors then, mani"
cried BARLEY. "Clissy Clarke is moth
ing on earth but society belle. What
you want is a helpful, willing, work
ing-bee of wife-one who can aid you
with heart and hand to climb life's
hill. You saw Miss Clarke at the Win
field masquerade last night, in white
satin and pearls?"
"And very beautiful she looked?"
cried the young physician, firing sud
denly up at the recollection of Miss
Clarke's auburn hair, all twisted with
ropes of seed-pearl, and violet-blue
eyes, sparkling with girlish animation.
"Did she look like q poor mans
wife?"
"Not a bit of it."
"Then be warned" said BARLEY,
shortly. Remember the old story OF
the myth scorching it's wings in the
candle-fame.
Doctor Dale was silent. He had
promised himself the pleasure OF a call
Uu CletIISSd SldIkc, OIldo very d1GcI-
noon.
There was something in the girl that
attracted him with almost magnetic
force. The tender light OF her eyes,
the sweet intonation of her voice, the
rosy fushes of color that overspread
her cheek when he talked to her, We're
oil separate attractions; and yet he
knew that he, like the hero of French
romance, was "APoor Young Mani"
He recollected, now, that he had
even said something to Clissy about
going to the Clarke cottage that day.
"It won't dol" he said to himself
II had better keep away"
And so instead of following the dear
est inclination of his heart, he betook
himself, with Spartan resolve, to the
public library.
"Pll read up that case on the inves-
tigation of cholera microbes" he
thought. eff a man expects to make
my mark in his profession, he must
keep posted up in these modern discov-
cries of science"
So he disappeared into one of the al
coves of the library, with his medical
quarto and his memorandum-book,
md set to work in good earnest.
But he had not fairly entered into
the merits of the microbe question,
when the twitter of sweet girl-voices
from the adjoining alcove struck upon
his ear.
"Oh, Clissy Clarke!" said one. 81
called for her, and she wouldn't come
1t WAS baking-day, and there was Clis-
sy up to her elbows in flour and spices. !"
"Well, l never!" said the other, with
q giggle.
"Oh, she does all the housework!"
said the first speaker, scornfully.
"Like any hired servant. Even the
fine Washington they only keep one
little ebound-girl-and Mr.. Clarke won't
wear a shirt unless Clissy has ironed
it,"
GLOW does she find timefor her mu-
s. nd oil-painting?" asked the second.
..Oh, she rises at dawn. She says
the best time of the working day is be-
fore breakfast. She finishes her house
work, sews for the family"
"Makes all her own dresses, don't
she?"
eyes, and her mothers, too! That
satin dress she wore at the party last
night was her grandmother bridal
gown made over, and the pearls were
borrowed from Miss Layton. 1t don't
cost her anything to dress. She'll
take the horridest old affair, and re,
model it with a scrap of ribbon or a
panel of velvet until you'd think it
was made by q French dressmaker
I declare, / wish l had her knack
Papa is always grumbling about my
bills. But that amt all. Do you
know? she gives Bessie Layton music
lessons, and earns quite a nice little in
come for herself. And she writes book
reviews and things for the newspapers,
and keeps Mr.. Clarke in books that
way"
"Dear mel" said the other with a
yawn, "what a dreadful nuisance she
must find it! 1 couldn't drudge that
way"
"She says she likes it."
"She' d make nice wife for poor
man, wouldn't she?" said the second
speaker ALTHOUGH no one who saw
her at the party last night would think
It,"
"Humphl" remarked the other.
"She'll live and die an old maid, see il
she don't! Suchglrls always do. Come;
here are our novels at last. Let'sgol'
The perfumed silken founces rustled
out of the library, the sound of chat
tering voices died away, and still Doc
tor Dale sat, with his pencil in his
hand, staring down at his memoran-
dum-book. It seemed as if the gloomy
veil which dropped between him and
his future life were lifted. In his heart
he could have blessed the agile tongues
of these idle, gossiping girls.
Clissy, then, was no mere butterfly,
but true, noble-hearted working
grill
He carried back the ponderous
medical tome to the assistant hbrari
an.
i "Much obliged!" he remarked, sue
cinctly.
"Got through with it pretty quick,
haven't your" said the assistant Ii
! brarian.
IL =